


Baby, He's A Shooting Star

by frostbite



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Bottom Niall, Dom Harry, I'm Sorry, M/M, Narry - Freeform, Smut, Sub Niall, Top Harry, i suck at descriptions, narry storan - Freeform, spaced out really weird
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-28
Updated: 2013-07-28
Packaged: 2017-12-21 13:51:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/901043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frostbite/pseuds/frostbite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nobody ever said parenting would be easy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Baby, He's A Shooting Star

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry. I'll just state that in advance.

She was born on the first day of December, when the snow had just started falling and covered the entire outside in one thick blanket of white snow. 

Niall remembers it like it was yesterday, sitting in the waiting room with his back against the chair and his head tipped back a bit against the wall and his eyes closed. Harry sat beside him, one large hand on his knee as he sat just as nervous biting at his lip and staring at all the faces around them, sitting just as nervous as they were. He wondered if any of them were there for the same reason of them, wondered who they were and tried to take his mind off the obnoxious sound of the clock that hung up on the wall above the doors. He gave them each a story in his mind, like the lady sitting two rows over with glasses covering over her tired eyes was waiting for her first grandson to be born. And the woman a few seats down from her was waiting for her husband to come out of surgery for his wrist he'd fractured when teaching their daughter how to ice-skate. And the man sitting a few seats down from them in powder blue scrubs with the lot of bandages covering over his thumb was there to get stitches from accidentally cutting his finger when he was trying to chop the carrots for his meal. 

"We're going to be okay, right?" Niall asked out of the blue catching Harry's attention quickly as he focused his eyes on the blond who just stared straight forward. "What do you mean, love?" He asked, giving his knee a quick reassuring squeeze as he watched Niall's teeth press into his bottom lip leaving a faint red mark behind for a few seconds. "I mean- We're going to be ok, right? We're good people - we'll be good parents," he trailed off towards the end followed by a tired sigh as he scrubbed his hands over his face. "Of course," Harry said, sitting up right and rubbing his hand over Niall's arm. "We're going to be great parents, Ni." 

"What if she doesn't like me?" Niall asked, glaring at the younger boy as he covered his mouth and laughed into the sleeve of his oversized, black jumper. "That's what you're worried about? Her not liking you? Niall, baby, of course she'll like you! She'll love you," he said watching Niall roll his eyes. "You can say that, but-" Harry cut his fiancé off with a kiss, cupping the side of his face gently and stroking his thumb across the older boy's cheek. "Baby, you're going to be fine, we're going to be fine. She's going to love you, and me, us." He said in a soft voice ignoring the weird stares they were getting from the small boy sitting across from them kicking his feet back and forth as he not-so-sneakily whispered to his mum- _look at those two boys, they're kissing!-_ Niall just nodded his head and pressed his lips together forming a tight lipped smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right." 

Silence washed over the two for a bit as they held hands and watched between the door that never seemed to open and the clock that seemed to mock them because it's been six hours and fourty-five minutes and they _still_ didn't have their little girl in their arms. "Labor takes _time,_ Niall" Harry tried to explain to the blond watching how his knee bounced up and down as he stared directly at the door where the nurse would be coming out to call them back. "I know that, Harry." Niall said squeezing Harry's hand a little tighter in desperate need of some reassurance. "I just want her now, I want to hold her and love her and take her home and give her the world," he said and Harry tried, he really really tried not to smile ear-to-ear and squeak in aw at that, he really did. "Shut up," Niall whined smacking the younger boy playfully on the arm with his freehand. "I'm just nervous, and scared and-" 

"Harry and Niall?" A woman in purple scrubs littered with tiny animations of puppies and cats under umbrellas called out for them. They both raised to their feet and bolted towards the door where she stood with a slight smile. "Alright, you can follow me." She said and began walking.   
They walked for what seemed like forever, down the hall and to the left, and another left, and another left. 

"If you two would like to wash your hands and then meet me back out here, i'll show you to your _daughter,"_ she said and Niall could've cried right then and there. Daughter, wow, _your daughter, their daughter._ Wow, wow, wow. 

Harry washed his hands three times before they went back out into the hallway making sure not to touch any doorknobs, nothing. When they walked into the dim lighted room Niall's breath hitched in his throat at the sight of the baby laying alone in the small bed they had. He caught a glimpse of her, an iridescent pink colored hat on her tiny head, and a white blanket wrapped around her small body. "Oh my god," Harry gasped when they were standing directly over her and staring down at her. They watched in horror as the nurse reached down and scooped her up carefully adjusting her little blanket that swaddled around her body. She turned to them and Niall wiped the tears from his eyes with the sleeves of his jumper as he stared at her, "who is going to hold her first?" She asked with a smile, and that's when Niall lost it and the tears were racing down his cheeks as he reached out for her and the nurse gently placed her in his arms. "You two can have a seat back in the chairs, and someone will be in shortly to get all the information and get you guys all set for you to take her home. She's a very beautiful little girl, you two are very lucky." She said while walking out of the room shutting the door softly behind her. 

"She's so beautiful," Niall cried, blinking past the tears that seemed to cloud his vision as he stared down at his daughter in his arms. "Yeah," Harry said softly in a shaky voice, he reached out his hand gently caressing her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "She really is," Niall sniffled a bit moving backwards until they were both seated on the chairs and staring down at her. "Hi cutie," Harry cooed before pressing a kiss on her forehead watching as she stirred underneath him, her tiny little pink lips pouting against the light as he tried to crack open her eyes. "Do you want to hold her?" Niall asked and Harry just stared forwards at the two, "s-should I wash my hands again?" He asked, the words jumbling together and falling quickly off his tongue. Niall just laughed and shook his head, "you're fine love," he said and carefully gave her to him, resting her tiny body in his arms and swallowed hard watching Harry stared down at her with a smile that was as bright as the stars. He looked at her like she was the eighth wonder of the world, he always did. 

There was a soft knock on the door before it slowly opened and another woman with a straight smile and curly brown hair stepped inside pulling a large cart with what looked like a computer on it. "Hello!" She greeted them in a whisper-voice looking over their daughter who rested peacefully in Harry's arms. "Aw, well isn't she precious," she smiled at them and slowly closed the door behind her cart. "I'm Marge, i'm here to get all the signatures and to set up the birth certificate," she said taking a pair of rectangular framed glasses from her pocket and slipping them over her eyes. "Does she have a name?" She asked while typing some things down and staring at the screen that lit up the room. Niall and Harry both looked at each other before answering. "Yes," Niall spoke up, "her name is Sherry Victoria Horan-Styles," he said. "What a mouthful," she said with a slight laugh and Niall gave Harry a horrified look. "Sherry's not a very common name, yeah? Don't hear that very often, very pretty though." She said looking back up at the screen and the sound of a printer went off. They watched as she reached down retrieving a bunch of papers from the printer and got a pen. "Alright, I just need to see your ID and have you two sign the birth certificate and get her all set up to go home, and you three are good to go." She said with a smile handing Niall the pen first signing his signature on the line below the big swirly font that read: 

_Certification Of Birth._

Harry passed Sherry to Niall and signed his name along the time and they were both set up. "You'll get a copy of the certificate in the mail in two-three weeks, any questions or concerns you can call the hospital and just ask for the service desk. Any questions?" She asked smiling as both boys shrugged their shoulders and shook their heads. "Okay, have a wonderful life," she said with a wave before pushing the cart out of the room and leaving them back in silence as they both admired their little girl. 

"Can you believe it?" Niall asked, watching as her tiny, pale hand wrapped around his finger. "She's here, she's finally here." He said swallowing past the sob that threatened to escape his mouth. "I know," Harry said pressing another kiss to her forehead and listening to the small whimper that left her mouth. Niall placed her back into Harry's arms before he stood up and took out his phone from his pocket and snapped a quick picture of the two. "I just- I never knew I could love something so much," he said rocking her a bit until her breathing steadied out and she was finally asleep. 

-

When Harry wakes up he's greeted with the sound of Niall's tired yawns and his knee his pressing into Harry's lower back. He blinks a few times registering the time of the night, well morning, 3:18 in the damn morning. He hears Sherry's tiny coos muffled by the bottle Niall is feeding her. "You're supposed to sleep through the night, love" Niall spoke softly, and Harry hears Sherry coo again. "Sleep is good," Niall yawns again, and his Irish accent is deep and raspy against the silence of the rest of the world around them. "You'll understand that when you get a little older," he laughs softly. "Maybe you'll learn before that, because this waking up at three in the morning isn't cutting it, babe." He says and Harry can hear the sound of the bottle settling on the dresser and she makes another sound as Niall places her against his chest and begins to pat her back, attempting to burp her. 

He must've fallen asleep for a little while because when he wakes up again Sherry is crying and the bed is rocking beside him. Harry turned over and sat up looking at them through the dim lighting that the hallway light provided. He could see the outline of Niall, rocking back and forth with Sherry in his arms still in the burping position as he rubbed his large hand over her back. "Sorry we woke you, she just won't sleep, i've put her in her crib three times and she just wails-" he says, his voice slightly shaky by the end. Harry just yawns and reaches out taking the infant from the blond and places her on her back between them and her crying comes to a halt and Niall just stares at his fiancé in disbelief. "But I laid her in her crib on her back and-" 

"She's spoiled, love." Harry said, looking down at her watching her eyes shutting and the little christmas themed onesie rise and fall with each of her breaths as she falls asleep.   
"I'll say," Niall laughs and gets up to shut the hall light off and slides into bed making sure to stray far from the small infant. 

-

"Sherry," Niall says as he leans over the tiny blanket he laid out on the floor and placed her down on. Harry watches from the sofa, between Niall's loud voice and Sherry's loud noises he doesn't even know why he's even bothering to watch the television. "Say dada," he said with fixing the feet of her pale pink onesie. Harry rolled his eyes at him, watching as she brought her fingers up to her mouth as she chewed and made noises past them staring up at Niall. "Da da da da da," Niall said wiggling both of her hands from her mouth and pressing a kiss to both before leaning up and blowing a raspberry against her cheek. The sound of her giggles filled the room as he did so, and Harry bit back the sappy aww that threatened to leave his mouth. "Niall, love, she's six months old. She's not going to say dada, or dad, or anything for that matter." 

Niall frowns a bit and huffs a sigh, watching down at Sherry's bright blue eyes that stared back at him as he chewed on her fingers again, making another noise and Niall shrugged his shoulders and pressed another kiss on her cheek. "Good enough for me." 

-

It was sometime between the endless days of Sherry running around the house like a monster and growling at them each time they walked by and Niall pretending to be so scared that he would fall onto the floor and their little two year would jump on him and attack him. And the long nights where she just wanted to be held and rocked, and wanted to be sung too, that Harry had accepted his life as a dad. And to say that he was happy would be an understatement, he was thrilled, they both were. 

Harry sat on the bed he shared with his fiancé, shirtless allowing the chilly autumn breeze to flow in through the window and hit his skin sending a wave of goosebumps along his body covering his skin with the tiny prickles. "Dada! Tell me a story again," he heard Sherry whine. "No princess," Niall said in a soft voice and the sound of the bed creaking signaled that Sherry had gotten up. "Please dada? I'll go sleep!" She promised, and the sound of Niall's laugh rang through his ears. "Not tonight, princess. Lay down alright?" 

"Fine," she huffed and Harry painted the picture in his head of Sherry sitting on her bed with her arms crossed over her chest and her dark brown hair falling into her eyes as she furrowed her brows. "Don't be angry, Sher. Princess' always smile, yeah? They can't be sad." 

"M'princess dada?" 

"You're my princess," Niall said as he adjusted her lilac colored bedspread over her tiny little frame and put her little white seal next to her. She let out a giggle and wrapped her small arms around his neck giving him a kiss on the cheek waiting for him to return one back. "I'll see you in the morning, alright? I love you," 

"Love you too dada," she said back hugging her seal close to her chest and forcing her bright blue eyes shut waiting for Niall to turn off the light.

"She's finally in bed," Niall said scrubbing his tired hands over his face. "She might be in bed, but she won't be asleep for another two hours," he said with a slight laugh reaching his arms out and letting Niall climb into his embrace. "I'm so tired, but if I lay down i'll just be awake for hours," he sighed leaning up and kissing at Harry's jawline. "I know what will make you tired," Harry said in a whisper voice feeling the older boy tense up in his arms. "Oi, I reckon I know what you're thinking, you dirty boy." He said with a laugh muffled by Harry's shoulder. "Not a boy, m'most certainly a man, thank you very much." 

"Sure don't look like one," Niall teased ignoring the offended look that spread across the younger boy's face. "I choose to keep my face baby smooth, I mean, i'm twenty-two and- at least I can grow facial hair." He said watching Niall sit up and glare at him. "I'll have you know- fuck it, you suck." He said, crossing his arms over his chest, no wonder Sherry resembled so much of Niall, they were practically twins. "Stop that," Harry said swatting at his arm. "You look just like Sherry when you do that, it's weird." 

"Why is that weird?" 

"Because you're killing the mood, man," Harry laughed. Niall sighed in acceptance, sliding off the bed and padding over towards the door and closing it softly behind him and turning the light off and jumping back onto the bed knocking into Harry and pushing him backwards. He straddled the younger boy leaning down and cupping the sides of his face pressing his thumbs against his dimples that were prominent in his smile as they kissed, nipping at each others bottom lips. Harry licked a stripe across Niall's bottom lip waiting for the older boy's lips to part before their tongues meshed together in a form of passion and Harry bucked up underneath the blond, his cock thickening beneath the loose material of his gray sweatpants that hung low on his hips. "God it's been too long," Niall groaned into the kiss, rolling his hips against the younger boy. 

Harry moaned against Niall's lips, the taste of his toothpaste lingering in his mouth. "Want you to ride me," Harry groaned, reaching up to squeeze at Niall's hips. 

Niall climbed off the younger boy pulling at his shirt at the back of his neck and pulled it up over his head crumbling it into a ball and letting it drop down on the floor as he kicked off his own sweatpants pushing his boxers down feeling a ripple of arousal stirring through his body. Harry pushed down his own sweatpants releasing his cock. He adjusted himself against the pillows, reaching down and wrapping his large palm over his cock sliding his fist up and down as Niall fumbled around in the drawers attempting to get the bottle of lube and stretch himself. Harry's hand dipped up and down his length, teasing the head of his cock with his own fingers spreading the pre-cum that seeped from the slit. "Oh god," Niall cried out adding a second finger inside himself, his middle finger brushing over his sensitive walls as he pumped them in and out of his tight hole. The only sound was their heavy shaky breaths as they both prepped themselves, gasping as Niall added a third finger and he was in a state of ecstasy as he pumped his fingers back and forth, in and out. "Jesus Christ," he gasped, pulling his fingers back and wiping them off on one of their sweatpants and climbed up towards where Harry was, engaging in yet another long, passionate kiss hovering over his cock and slowly, slowly siding himself down. His eyes clenched tight as he adjusted to the rest of the stretch from Harry. 

Harry experimentally thrusted himself up, bucking into Niall's sensitive walls causing an unexpectially loud moan to erupt from the older boy's mouth. He quickly slapped his hand over his mouth as both boys fell into a fit of laughter, "you better not wake up Sherry," Harry hissed through the laughter, bucking hiss hips upwards as he laughed, allowing the blond to lean down and moan against his shoulder. "Shit," he groaned, slowly bouncing up and down on Harry's cock, wiggling his hips around and nipping at the end of the bird tattoo that sat inked on his right shoulder. "You're so big," Niall cried out, rolling his body again until Harry's cock was jabbing right into his prostate and he couldn't fucking breath. Harry's heart beat fast against his chest, is breath hitching in his throat each time Niall seemed to clench around him, squeezing his dick in a way that should've been uncomfortable, but it was just plain fucking hot. "Fuck," Niall huffed as he slammed down onto Harry's cock, it seemed like all the air had left his body as he did that, swallowing hard past the moans that threatened to leave his mouth as he gripped onto Harry's arms that were gripping at his hips as he bucked upwards into him so they met somewhere in between. "Harder," Niall pleaded against his neck where he was sucking a love bite into the pale colored flesh. 

Harry grunted as he slid down a little farther against the pillows, thrusting his hips faster inside the older boy on top of him, moaning against his chest as he did so, squeezing his eyes shut ignoring the new burning sensation that spread through his hips and down his thighs. "Oh my god, i'm so fucking close," Niall whimpered against his neck, reaching down between their sweaty, flushed bodies wrapping his hand around his throbbing cock and pumping his hand up and down quickly, thumbing the tip of his cock as he did so. Harry could feel the warmth of his orgasm building up in the pit of his stomach, slowly spreading through his stomach causing the muscles of his stomach to tighten as he bucked his hips again, until he was fully inside the older boy and crying out his name. "M'ready," Niall said with a shaky voice against his ear, his nails digging into Harry's arms as he bounced up and down on his cock again, harder and harder until Harry was a withering mess underneath him and pounded into him harder and harder until Niall's vision was blurred and his brain had gone completely fuzzy and they were both climaxing in sync and Harry was cumming deep inside the older boy while the younger boy came onto the younger boy's stomach. Niall raised off the younger boy's cock that fell limp after the orgasm, hissing at the lack of penetration from him and collapsing next to him, focusing on the sound of his heartbeat that pounded in his chest echoing up into his head. Harry took shallow breaths as he came down from his high, the places where Niall's nails dug into him and scraped him beginning to feel more raw against the cold breeze that entered through the open window in the corner of the room. Harry swallowed hard, looking over at his fiancé who laid next to him, his chest rising and falling with each deep breath he took. "Want to go wash up, love?" He asked, watching Niall's blue eyes flutter open as he blinked against the dim light provided from the bedside lamp. "Mhm," he nodded his head and yawned as he rolled over padding across the room grabbing a clean pair of boxers and another pair of sweatpants as Harry wiped himself off and mimicked his actions tiptoeing off towards the bathroom. 

Neither of them had ever slept so good in their lives. 

-

"Daddy!" Sherry cheered when Harry walked in through the doors holding three tall bags filled to the absolute brim with groceries. Niall looked up from the table with a smile scrambling over and taking one of the bags from his arms and setting it down onto the counter trying to monovour around the toddler that tried to cling to both of their legs as they went from the fridge to the cabinets in attempt to putting the groceries away. "Sherry, love, you've got to go in the other room and play while we put these away, alright?" Harry said watching her cross her arms and her brows knitting together on her forehead. "I don't like daddy," she said stomping out of the kitchen and towards her room where he opened her pale purple colored door designed with a big fancy S painted in the center with different colored butterflies surrounding it, courtesy of their good friend Zayn. They both jumped when the door slammed behind her, and Harry took a seat and scrubbed his hands over his face as he sighed. Niall continued to put the items away, looking over the younger boy with a slight frown. "She didn't mean it, love" he said, placing his hand on his shoulder giving him a reassuring squeeze. "She loves you, babe," he said and just then they heard a shrill scream that sent chills down the both of their spines as they both jumped up and ran towards her room. Harry threw open the door and Sherry was sitting on the floor with tears streaming down her face, trying to push her hair back out of her face as she did so. "What's wrong?!" Harry asked in a state of pure panic, falling to his knees beside his daughter with a slight _oof_ as his knee collided with one of her many teddy bears. "Mr.Fishy," she sniffled motioning to the tank in front of her, pointing out to it. Both boy's eyes followed her direction to the tank with the orange goldfish floating at the top upside on its bell. "He not moving," she cried harder allowing Harry to scoop her up and hold her close to his chest as he stroked his fingers through her hair and down her back, staring at Niall as they both shrugged their shoulders. 

"Why he not movin' daddy?" She cried harder into his shoulder as they all sat on the couch, Sherry still in Harry's lap with her head buried in the crook of his neck as she mumbled on and on. After fifteen minutes of trying to sooth her and promising to buy her another, hell, Niall even offered to buy her four new ones, she still wouldn't stop crying and shaking her head crying out for Mr.Fishy. "Hey now, Sherry, princess' don't cry." Niall said and she almost instantly stopped, still sniffling as she pushed her hair from her red eyes. "What?" 

"Princess' don't cry," Niall explained, "they don't cry, love. They only smile, remember in Bambi, when Bambi's mum got taken away and Bambi cried, but by the end he was smiling and laughing and playing with Thumper and Flower?" Niall quizzed watching the four-year-old nod her head. "What happen to Bambi mummy?" She asked, and Niall seemed to be at a loss for words as he tried to explain. "Well you see- Bambi's mum and Mr.Fishy kind-of, well, they-" 

"They couldn't be here anymore and they turned into stars," Harry intervened and Niall let out a sigh of relief watching a small smile spread on Sherry's face. "A star, dada? Like the ones up in'a sky?" She asked, and Harry just nodded his head.   
"Oh! Mr.Fishy is a star daddy?" She asked, and Harry nodded his head again. "Yes, and he's a star, the brightest one up in the sky. Even though its sad and you're going to miss him, he's up in the sky with all the other fishes, he's a star swimming in the sea with all the other-," Sherry cut them off, "fishie-stars! Fishie-star dada and daddy! Fishie-Star!" She cheered and both parents exchanged looks and just nodded their head. "Yes baby, fishie-stars," he said with a slight shrug and she seemed content with that. "I sorry daddy, I like you" she said leaning up and pecking a kiss on Harry's cheek and wrapping her arms around her neck again. "I love you too, princess. Why don't you go get your shoes on and wait at the door for me, we can go outside and play for a bit while dada does something." He said nodding to the blond who just stared blankly before catching on and nodding his head. "Oh, yeah, okay, i'll be out in a few minutes alright. Ask daddy if he'll push you on the swing until I come out and I'll bring you out a soccer ball and we can play, okay?" 

"Okay!" She cheered sliding off the couch and running to the door as fast as her short, chubby legs could carry her. 

-

"Hey dada," Sherry looked up across the table at the two older males as she shoveled much too large bites of her own concoction of mashed potatoes and corn into her mouth. "Yes babe?" Niall asked, moving his fork around his plate watching over her as she swallowed down the food. "How come I don't have a mummy?" She asked and the sound of a fork hitting on the plate rang through the awkward silence that settled over the three. "W-What do you mean?" Niall asked, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the younger boy who was chugging some of his water in his glass. "Well this girl in my place said that she has a mummy and a daddy, and then she made fun of me because I have two daddies and she kept saying _Sherry doesn't have a mummy, Sherry doesn't have a mummy, Sherry doesn't have a mummy."_ Niall's heart sank down in the pit of his stomach when he heard that. 

"Daddies are the best," Harry spoke up, with a shrug of his shoulders he was wiping his hands off with his napkin. "Sher, some little girls and boys have two daddies, some even have two mummies, and some have a mum and a dad. But it doesn't mean that you're any different, you're unique. Everyone is unique," he said watching as the smile spread across her cheeks showing off her dimples on either side. "I'm unique," she repeated with a giggle. "I like that word daddy, i'm unique." It rolled off her tongue like something exotic, getting smiles from each of the boys. "M'all finished," she said grabbing her toddler sized see-through pink glass and taking a long drink of her water. "I'm unique and Marley isn't, because I have two daddies and she only has one," she sang as she wiggled out of her chair before she was skipping off to her room. Niall let out a sigh and threw up his hands over his face. 

"You know, we're probably going to get a call from Mrs.Adams tomorrow," Harry chuckled at Niall's words, mostly because they were true- whatever. 

"Yeah, I can see hear it now. Oh hello mr.styles yes um we have Sherry in the office right now, she was repeatedly skipping around the classroom and pulling another little girl named Marley's hair singing ' _I'm unique and Marley isn't, i'm unique and Marley isn't."_ Niall laughed at him, he could only hope they wouldn't receive that call. "Kids suck," Harry sighed as he stood up and collected their plates from the table and walked over to the sink where Niall followed behind holding all the glasses stacked one in another. "Well, some do, not Sherry."

"Never Sherry," Harry said scraping the lasts of the residue from the plates into the trash before settling them in the dish tray that sat in the sink. "I'll wash them if you go give her a bath so we doesn't have to rush around and do it tonight?" Niall asked and Harry nodded his head and leaned over giving the older boy a lingering kiss on the lips. "I love you," 

"I love you too," he said as he turned around and walked down the hallway towards Sherry's room where she was sat on her bed looking over her picture books trying to sound out the words that were littered across the pages. "Hi daddy!" She smiled bright, reaching up and pushing the hair from her face. "Hi love, want to have a bath now?" He winced as she jumped up with a high pitched squeal and ran right past him and towards the bathroom grabbing the large, heavy pink bottle of grapefruit scented bubbles that turned the water and the bubbles pink. "Bubbles bubbles bubbles!" She cheered, undressing herself as Harry sat on the edge of the white tub and held his hand under the warm water that spilled out from the faucet. "Daddy can I put the bubbles in, _please?"_ Harry turned around noticing the mischievous grin on her face as she stared over the water that was almost the entire way filled up to the very tippy-top, as Sherry liked to say. "I suppose so, but you've got to let daddy help, alright?" 

She nodded her head and struggled to pop open the lid, leaning over the water and squeezing the bottle with all of her strength to get the pink colored soap to squirt out. "Oh no, stop love" Harry groaned taking the bottle from her little paws and capped it setting it on the sink as she climbed in and the bubbles began to form as she moved around in the water. Pink water splashed out of the tub, all over the pink carpet that she just had to have when they had went out to the shops because- _daddy! Every princess needs a pink rug!-_ and really, they just couldn't say no to her. 

"So daddy," she giggled popping her head up through the large pile of pale pink bubbles working some along her face creating a beard all over her chin. "How do I look?" She asked, and Niall walked in with a large smile watching over the two as he leaned against the door frame. "Manly," Harry spoke up, "you've got more on your face then your own dada does," he said in a whisper voice and Sherry squealed with laughter as she ducked her head down below the water and came back up. "Daddy I have a _see-thing_ to tell you," she said. "Love, you mean a secret, yeah?" Harry asked and Sherry rolled her eyes- such a diva she was. "C'mere daddy, i've a _secret_ to tell you" she said smiling as Harry leaned in. "Dadda can hear you," she not-so-subtly whispered in his ear, ruffling her bubble-clad hands through his curly hair and Harry acted surprised, letting out a sharp gasp as he looked around and saw Niall standing in the doorway. He quickly threw his hand over his mouth and looked back to her with wide eyes. "Oh my goodness! Why did you tell me!" He gasped again, "quick Sher, tell him i'm sorry before-"

Niall took a step forward stomping his foot against the wooden floor, with his arms covering his chest. "Did I hear you talking about me?" He asked in a deep voice, trying not to laugh as Sherry gasped and covered her own eyes with her hands. "He's sorry, dada! Daddy is sorry!" She squealed, kicking her feet and splashing some of the water out of the tub and onto the floor. Niall swiveled around grabbing a cup from the sink and turning the faucet on with cold water filling it up about half way. "You know what this means?" He asked, and Sherry just let out a squeak as Niall tipped the cup over and let the cold water fall down onto her. "Dada!" She laughed before dipping under the water, coming back up she opened her blue eyes and stared at the two. "That was so cold, dada! Now I can't stop _brrring!"_ She whined and Niall just shook his head, "you mean shivering, love." 

"I can't stop shivering!" She whined as Harry reached over and turned the shower head on letting the warm water, stream out and all over her. He pushed his sleeve up and reached down unplugging the tub instructing her to stand up as the grapefruit scented water swirled down the drain and all the bubbles were washed away by the new water. 

Nobody said parenting would be easy, but they seemed to have lucked out on that part.

-  
Harry was awoken to a sound of a phone ringing, he thought he'd dreamt it, but when he sat up the shrill of the phone call was loud enough to send shivers down his spine. The other side of the bed was empty, something it usually never was. He blinked a few times adjusting to the darkness as he looked at the clock that glowed a bright green on the display of numbers. 4:48 am. Who the hell would be calling the house at this early? He swallowed hard and there was the phone, again, ringing away. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and quickly walked out of the room and straight to the kitchen where one of the two cordless phones sat. He saw an unknown number and answered it, expecting it to be a wrong number, _something._ "Hello?" 

"Hello," an older man answered, "is this the residence of Niall Horan?" 

"Yes, why?" Harry asked, leaning against the counter as the man on the other line continued. "Is this a friend or-"

"I'm his fiancé," Harry said bluntly. "Sir, he's been in a very bad car accident and is in very critical condition," he explained and Harry doesn't remember the world stopping, and he doesn't remember falling to his knees on the floor and he doesn't remember the phone crashing to the floor. And he doesn't remember the echo of the guy's voice on the phone- _sir? Sir? Sir are you there? Hello?_  
But what he does remember is waking up, and receiving the worst news of his life.

And he remembers breaking down and pulling his knees to his chest and sobbing into his hands, and punching the wall and screaming into his hands as he struggled to stand and crying harder. 

He remembers Niall's funeral, and remembers how sad everyone was, and how Sherry didn't understand, she didn't understand- " _why dada not moving, daddy? Why dada not making me breakfast and why dada not tucking me in and why isn't dada talking back to me, daddy? Daddy? Daddy why isn't he moving, daddy, daddy, daddy? Why he 'sleep?-_ Harry can't breath, their daughter is perched over the coffin, and her necklace Niall had given her with the word princess was dangling over, and she's staring at him with tears in her big blue eyes and Harry can't fucking breath, he can't do this. He can't, he can't, he can't.

His mum is there, and she's been somewhere in the back the entire time with the other family, but she's up there with little Sherry now, and she's hugging her close to her chest as they both cry because- my baby, he's gone, he can't be gone- and Harry can't breath, he's not even really sure if he is breathing right now, it's not much of a concern because Niall's gone and he's not really entirely sure he even wants to breath. 

"Daddy," Sherry cries from his mum's arms, holding her arms out towards Harry with the tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. Harry stares at her for a minute, but he doesn't say anything because he knows if he did he'd start crying. But he takes her in his arms and holds her close to him, allowing her to cry into the crook of her neck as his own mum stands beside them with a kleenex in hand as she dabs her own tears away. "You may not think of it like this now, but there is a reason for everything," his mum says into his ear pressing a kiss against his cheek. _Theres a reason for everything, theres a reason for everything-_ he just wants to leave, he wants to run away, as fast and far as his legs will let him, he wants to leave with Sherry and never come back. It doesn't sound like that bad of a plan, really. 

-

Harry's sat at the end of the bed he once shared with his fiancé, his engagement ring still sitting on his finger, where it'll remain _forever._ No matter what, he's still in shock, and he hasn't cried, well, not in front of Sherry at least. She keeps him sane, just a little small reminder that he was real, and they were real, and that good things do come out of bad situations because he still has Sherry, he still has her. 

It's nights like these he needs him the most, and its nights like tonight that Harry wakes up in a cold sweat and reaches out across the bed only to be met with an empty, cold side of the bed. 

He's wearing Niall's shirt, the one that he wore when they went on their first date, at the coffee shop and the brown stain from when Niall moved his arm the wrong way sending the cup of hot coffee all over the place is still at the bottom of the shirt. It's still there, and so is Sherry, she's still there and she doesn't understand he's gone. She doesn't understand that the hours she sits there on the couch staring out the window is a waste because she just doesn't realize that he isn't coming back, he can't come back. But Harry lets her do it anyways, because how do you explain to a six-year-old that her dad is gone? 

You can't, simple as _that._

But it gets worse when she constantly asks for him, and cries for him at night when she only wants him to read her a bedtime story, and she doesn't want to be called a princess anymore unless he is calling her it. But Harry carries on, even when he has to ignore he questions at the dinner table why there isn't a plate for him anymore. Harry can't even say his name without wanting to cry and throw-up.

Christmas comes and goes, and before they know it it's already December thirty-first, and Harry, well, Harry isn't happy about starting a new year off without Niall.   
He's been cold to Sherry, not on purpose but because he just doesn't know what to do without him. And he's not exactly quite sure he can go on and answer all the questions she has about him, and her list seems to be endless, each day a new question falls from her mouth and all Harry can do is frown. He doesn't bring up the fact that at the bottom of her Christmas wish list she'd even written a note to Santa, he knows he should because she's going to resent him in the long term when she does find out. She's going to hate him if he doesn't, but he's shaking(quite literally, shaking) that she'll hate him if he does.

But he has too, because he's sitting at the edge of the bed with the little note scribbled on the piece of paper that she'd written for Santa,

_Dear Santa my daddies said that you bring us stuff and i don't want anything but my dada back love Sherry Horan Styles._

His whole entire world is spinning, and he's dizzy when he stands up and places the note on the dresser and makes his way out towards where Sherry's room is, right down the hallway from theres. But he can't stop himself as he walks right past it and catches the glimpse of her sitting on the floor in her pink dress on the floor smoothing her little hands through her barbie dolls hair.   
He keeps walking until he's out through the kitchen and he finally calms down when he's out in the backyard under the light of the moon and the stars. The moon is bright, and full and he can feel his feet burning against the cold snow that laid in a blanket underneath his feet. He can hear his favorite voice, Irish accent clad swirling around in his head, swirling round and round and round until Harry's spinning along, and the snow begins to fall because he can feel the flakes landing against his face as he continues to turn in the snow, circles, he's going in circles and he can't stop, he doesn't want too. 

Until a tiny voice brings him out of his trance and she's tugging at his shirt. "Dada," she whines and that's when Harry's spinning again, with sherry in his arms pressed against his chest they're both spinning in circles. "Daddy I dizzy," she cries and they stop and Harry lands bum-first down into the snow and Sherry's still in his arms, and her arms are around his neck and her face is buried in his shoulder as they both sit there and allow the snow to fall on them. "Dada said, princess' don't cry," she whimpered and Harry could tell she was trying so, so hard not to cry. "M'I still a princess, daddy?" She asked and her voice was shaky as she pulled away and Harry could see that her eyes were like glass as she tried to blink past the tears as one rolled down her cheek. "Of course," Harry said pressing his chapped lips together as he watched more tears roll down her cheeks and she hugged him tight again, sobbing against his shoulder. "M'sorry daddy," she sobbed harder and Harry just held her closer to his chest, ignoring how the snow seemed to melt through his pants and began to freeze his skin. "M'so sorry," she wailed and god, Harry had to do everything in his power not to cry right along with her. 

"For what?" He asks, rubbing his large hand across her back as she struggles to breath past the sobs that are flooding out of her mouth. "For crying, and being a bad princess."

"You're sad, love. It's okay to cry when you're sad," Harry said back taking a deep breath and attempting to rub his eyes. "Dada's gone, isn't he? He not comin' back." She asked, her tiny voice muffled against his shoulder and all Harry could do was nod his head and hug her tighter. And she sniffled against his shirt and rubbed her eyes and looked up at the sky placing one palm on the side of her dad's cheek. "He up there," she pointed and Harry stared up at the sky noticing how bright all the stars looked, "yeah baby, yeah he's up there." 

"With Mr.Fishy," she said with a slight smile that broke Harry's heart because no matter how hard she tried, that smile never did reach her eyes. "With Mr.Fishy," Harry confirmed and she looked down moving her feet as the sound of snow crunched beneath her booted feet. "He's a star? Dada is a star, daddy?" She asked and Harry nodded his head looking back up at the sky. "The biggest and brightest star up there," he said watching her little blue eyes reaching the sky as she searched as far as she could see pointing her index finger up, "that one, my dada is that one right there. He's right there, daddy. Look at dada," she said jumping up and down with her arm raised as if she was trying to reach for him. "I wasn't as sad when Mr.Fishy gone," she admitted and Harry bit into his bottom lip remembering the day ever so clearly, it was a sad day.

"Pets are different from people, love" Harry tried to explain but Sherry was too interested in the star she claimed as Niall. "M'sad daddy, I miss him" she sighed and Harry reached up and brushed a tear from her cheek with the back of his hand. "I know baby, I know. So do I, but you know what? Dada wouldn't want you to be sad, he would want you to smile and hey- you know what, you can write him a letter, and when the weather gets nicer we can go and pick out some flowers for his grave and put them there, and we can go visit him all you want." He promised, and her smile seemed to get a little better, and he wondered if she even knew what he was saying.

"Okay," she yawned, "but m'tired daddy, and _brrring,_ " she whined, holding her arms up for Harry to pick her up.   
He stood up and brushed the snow from the backside of his pants before picking her up and holding her close to his chest again as they walked through the snow towards the inside. "Wait!" She cried, wiggling from his embrace and racing back to the door struggling to push it open. Harry helped her and watched her from inside the doorway as she raced through the tall snow that seemed to almost swallow her whole as she stared up at the sky and waved at the stars that only twinkled back at her. 

"Good night dada, I love you." She waved up at the sky blowing a kiss before trudging back in the house and making Harry take off her snow boots before carrying her off to bed.

_And that, well, that was only the beginning of that._


End file.
